5 Considerations for Designing a Custom Engagement Ring

There’s nothing we love more than helping to create a bespoke, timeless, stunning engagement ring, from our first meeting with a client to seeing photos of the proposal. Often times, clients come to us not entirely knowing what they want, but knowing they want something special. These five considerations are key to making sure you find your perfect ring within the budget and timeline that you want it:

1. The Center Stone

This is the first step in creating an engagement ring. Many people come to us knowing exactly which shape center stone they want, but when they try them on, often change their minds. The color of the stone is also important, since many gemstones are too soft to wear every day.

We factor in:

Preference: Is there a shape & stone she’s always dreamed of?

Wearability: Diamonds and sapphires are the most popular stones for engagement rings because yes, they are stunning, but they are also very strong and withstand the stresses of everyday wear.

Shapes that flatter: While round cut shapes flatter the stone best, oval or marquis cut gemstones can really flatter a hand, making the finger appear elongated. Depending on your hand shape, you may prefer one shape over another.

2. The Metal

We furnish our handmade fine rings in 18 karat yellow gold, rose gold and platinum. Many factors play into the preference of the metal you choose for an engagement ring:

Skin Tone & Collection: Is one color more flattering to your skin tone? Do you tend to only wear one color of metal?

Strength: Golds will scratch less than platinum, but platinum is stronger and more malleable. However, because platinum is softer, it will scratch more than gold.

A Note About White Gold: We use platinum over white gold for engagement rings because over time, rhodium, which is the plating that makes white gold white, will rub off over time. This needs to be reapplied every couple of years, though it depends on your body chemistry.

3. The Setting

We’re big believers that less is more when it comes to a setting, which is what you will see in our classic handmade settings. It lets the stones take center stage, showing them off best. When we create custom settings, we consider:

Height: Some settings are higher than others, making it more vulnerable to being caught on clothing or hit on something.

Wedding Band: We always keep in mind that you’ll almost always be wearing your engagement ring alongside a wedding band. We want to be sure they sit together perfectly and compliment each other’s designs.

4. The Budget

The idea of creating or purchasing an engagement ring can feel overwhelming at first, so we first start with talking about your budget. We want to be sure you can get the best ring for your budget, and want to avoid leading you down the path to a ring that is not within your budget. To do that, we discuss:

The Diamond: This is where the bulk of your budget will go, so first we focus on finding the perfect stone or stones within your budget.

Solitaire or Multi-Stone: Depending on your budget, some clients like to discuss whether a solitaire is ideal or if a multi-stone ring is feasible.

5. The Timeline

While we love creating custom engagement rings, they take time! You’d be surprised how often clients come to us wanting a custom ring but also wanting to propose that same week. We advise giving yourself about a month if you’d like to create a bespoke ring. If you’re on a tighter timeline, we of course have our complete collection of engagement rings in the shop ready to be proposed with!

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Finding the right piece of jewelery for the right occasion, especially an engagement ring, can be quite tricky. Let us simplify it for you as you keep up to date with all that’s happening in the world of Shah & Shah.